Improvement in post-hole diggers



O. PATTERSON. Post-Hole Digger.

No. 208,760. Patented Oct. 8,1878;

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UNITED STATES PATENT QFFICEC CHARLTON PATTERSON, OF ROCK ISLAND,ILLINOIS.

IMPROVEMENT IN POST-HOLE DIGGERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 208,760, dated October8, 1878; application filed August 13, 187 8.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLTON PATTER- SON, of Rock Island, in the countyof Rock Island and State of Illinois, have invented a new and ImprovedPost-Hole Digger, of which the following is a specification:

The object of my invention is to facilitate the removal of excavatedearth from the bucket of a post-hole digger.

The invention consists in the combination, with the digging-bucket, ofan annular piston and central piston-rod, operated by a connecting-rodand lever, the latter being pivoted to the hollow handle of thepost-hole digger, as will be hereinafter described.

In the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 represents a vertical section ofmy improved post-hole digger. Fig. 2 is a side view of the same. Fig. 3is a detail plan view of the annular piston.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

A is ahollow handle, made of gas-pipe, provided with a vertical sideslot, to, and closed at its upper end by a wooden knob, B.

To the lower end of the handle A are socured, by the twolaterally-opposite brackets 15, the two semicircular steel spades (3,which are curved on their lower ends, as shown in the drawing, and formtogether a hollow cylinder, which constitutes the digging-bucket.

I) is a ring or annular piston fitted to move within the innercircumference of the bucket O G by being secured by the forked bracket-E to the lower end of the piston-rod F, which latter is arranged to workin the center of the hollow handle A, and is pivoted at its upper end toone end of the connecting-rod G, issuing through the slot to, whoseother end is pi voted to a lug or arm, H, on the lever I, which isfulcrumed at i to the lug b on the side of the handle A.

The earth which is excavated or detached by depressing the digger intothe ground, and adheres to the interior of the bucket C C, is removed bybearing down upon the lever l, which forces the piston 1) down throughthe bucket, thereby clearing the inside of and emptying the latter.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent The combination, with the digging-bucket O C, of theannular piston D and central piston-rod, F, operated by theconnecting-rod G and lever I, the latter being fulcrumed to the hollowhandle A of the post-hole digger, substantially as and for the purposeset forth.

CHARLTON PATTERSON.

Witnesses:

REUBEN BOLLMAN, JoHN H. KAUFFMAN.

